Machine for freeing brushes of loose bristles.



N0. 760,938. PATENTED MAY 24, 1904. M. P. TOTTLE & G. B. FAIRMAN. MACHINE FOR FREEING BRUSHES OF LOOSE BRISTLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.1B, 1903.

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differ/ve an No. 760,938." PATENTED MAY 24, 1904. M. P. TOTTLE & G. B."FAIRMAN. MACHINE FOR FREEING BRUSHES 0P LOOSE BRISTLBS.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 18. 1903.

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UNITED STATES MORTON P. TOTTLE AND GEORGE B. FAIRMAN, OF BALTIMORE, MARY- Patented May 24, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

LAND; SAID FAIRMAN ASSIGNOR TO SAID TOTTLE.

MACHINE FOR FREElNG BRUSHES OF LOOSE BRISTLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 760,938, dated May 24, 19 04.

Application filed December 18, 1903. Serial No. 185,655. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, MORTON P. TOTTLE and GEORGE B. FAIRMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Freeing Brushes of Loose Bristles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for freeing newly-made brushes of loose bristles.

In the manufacture of paint-brushes, varnish, and other brushes it is desirable that before the brushes leave the factory they shall be completely freed of any loose or unattached bristles, and thus rid the painter of the annoyance resulting by bristles becoming detached on the newly-laid paint. New brushes in which all the bristles are securely'attached are recognized by the painter as more desirable and valuable.

The object of this invention is to subject each brush to a rapid revolution on its own axis-that is, the axis that extends in alinement with the normally straight bristles said axis being at the center of the brush. A rapid revolution of the brush head under these conditions (on its own axis) causes the bristles to turn from their normally straight position, opening at the center, and to assume a flared and expanded position all around the brush-head substantially radial with respect to the said axis of the brush.

Another object is to provide for the flared, expanded, or radial bristles to strike against a suitable resistance or knocker. To this end at the same time the rapid revolution is going on a stiff brush or other suitable resisting device is rigidly held in such relation to the flared and expanded bristles thatthe ends of the latter will strike or sweep against the said rigidly-held device.

Another object of this invention is to provide means whereby a revoluble buffer-drum and the brush while still held in the holder of the machine may be brought in contact to smooth the bristles and assist in restoring them to their normally straight position.

The inventive idea here involved may find expression in various mechanical forms, and

we have for the purpose of illustrating the invention shown one of such forms in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is aside view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view of the frictionclutch. Fig. 3 is a top planview of the adjustable stop to limit the tilting of the standard. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are views illustrating the normal straight position of the bristles of a brush and the position the same bristles take when flared or expanded by rapid revolution. Fig. 7 is a view of the adjustable bar that raises the pivoted resistance or knocker device. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the drum which buffs or restores the bristles to their normal position.

A suitable standard A has its lower end mounted on a horizontal shaft 6, that is pivoted thereon, so as to permit the upper end of the standard to have a slight tilting movement forward and back. This standard carries a shaft 0, projecting at one side, and said shaft has at its end a holder 0 to receive the head or the handle of a paint-brush. The two broken lines on the holder 0 in Fig. 1 indicate a socket which receives the handle of the brush, and a set-screw c secures the brush. It will be seen that the axis of the brush in the holder and the axis of the shaft 0 are in alinement. The brush-holder shaft is in alinement with another shaft d, which has a small pulley d for a belt 0, by which it is driven. These two shafts c and d .have their ends in proximity, but spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 2, and a spring CF in the'space serves to press the shaft cl end wise away from the other shaft 0. The two disks ff of a friction-clutch are secured, respectively, one to each shaft, and a slight endwise movement of the shaft 0?, caused by the expansion of the spring d will separate the two disks, and thereupon the Y brush-holder shaft 0 will cease to revolve, while the slidable shaft cl always revolves; but when the standard A is tilted to one side, as shown in the drawings, so as to cause the pointed end 0Z of the slidable shaft to press against a fixed stop (Z, said shaft is thereby forced in the opposite direction, the spring d compressed, and the two disks forced together, whereupon the brush-holder shaft will be rapidly revolved. The standard A carries another shaft g nearer its pivoted end. This shaft has a pulley g larger than the pulley d on the endwise-movable shaft. The belt 0 connects the pulleys g and d. The shaft 9 also has a small pulley g, which is driven by a belt h from a pulley b on the main shaft 5. I

It will be seen that the friction-clutch is operated by the sidewise movement one way or the other of the standard that carries the revoluble brush-holderthat is, when the standard is moved to one side (toward the right hand in the present instance) the clutch will close, and thereby the said brush-holder will be revolved, when the standard is moved to the other side (toward the left hand in the present instance,) the clutch will open, and thereby the brush-holder will cease to revolve. This sidewise movement or forward-andback movement of the standard has been described herein as a swinging or tilting movement, because one way of obtaining such movement, as shown in the drawings, is by pivoting the end of the standard. It is obvious, however, that the sidewise movement can readily be obtained by a different construction.

From the above description it will be understood that when the standard A is tilted to one side and a paint-brush is in position in the holder 0 said brush will be revolved at high speed-say about twenty-five hundred revolutions, more or lessand the bristles of the revolving brush will at once assume a flared, expanded, and radial position, as denoted in the drawings in Figs. 1, 5, and 6. This operation will cause the loose or unattached bristles to free themselves and fly off.

To make the above operation more positive in eliminating loose bristles, we provide a device in the nature of a resistance or knocker and cause the ends of the bristles of the rapidly-revolving brush to strike against said resistance or knocker or to sweep past the same. In the present instance a brush I with stiff bristles is used for this purpose. One end of this brush I is pivoted or hinged at i, so as to permit the brush to swing up or down. A spiral spring j draws the hinged brush or knocker to its down position, and a bar is, at-

tached to the tilting standard A, has its projecting end in contact with the hinged brush, so that when the standard tilts to the position which stops the revolution of the brush-holder shaft said hinged brush will be raised out of the way of the head 0. The bar has a slot k, and bolts in the slot hold it wherever it is set. Thus the bar is adjustable.

The buffer-drum L is suitably mounted on ashaftm, supported in bearings m on a hanger m This shaft has a pulley a, and a belt 31 connects said pulley with a pulley on the main shaft 6. The buffer-drum has on its rim-face rows q of stubby fiber arranged like a brush, and nails, spikes, or pins are also fast and rigid in said rows. This bufier-drum has such position relative to the tilting standard A of the machine that when the said standard is tilted toward the drum a brush held in the holder 0', but not then revolving, may have its bristles buffed or side-wiped toward their extremities, and thus the bristles will be smoothed and restored to their normally straight position, as shown in Fig. 4:. A stop device of any suitable form is employed to limit the extent of the tilting movement of the standard when the latter tilts toward the drum L. In the present instance this stop device consists of a bar r, having at one end a longitudinal slot 1 said bar being secured by bolts 8 through the slot and into a stationthe standard A will be held upright, neither tilted to the right nor to the left, by a suitable stay device. In the present instance this stay device consists of a pivoted bar it, having a swinging movement. When this bar swings upward, its free end will impinge against the standard A at the point y, and thereby the bar will serve as a stay to retain the standard from tilting. A spiral spring 1) is employed to cause the bar a to swing up, and a treadle w and rod w connects with the pivoted bar and serves to draw it down.

From the foregoing description the operations of the machine will be readily understood. It may be stated, briefly, that when a brush has been placed in the holder 0 for the elimination of loose bristles it can be subjected to three distinct operations or treatments, as follows: First, the rapid revolution of the brush on its own axis causes the bristles to open, separate, and assume a radial position. This treatment alone will generally eliminate the loose bristles. Second, while the brush is revolving, with the bristles in the abnormal radial position, the ends of the bristles may be caused to] sweep against or in contact with a rigidly-held resisting device or knocker I to more positively separate the loose bristles; and, third, by stopping the revolution of the brush-holder 0 the bristles will restore themselves substantially to their normal straight position, and then the means here provided causes the brush while still held in said holder to be brought in contact with the revolving buffer-drum, and thereby the bristles are side-wiped, smoothed, and perfectly restored to their normal position.

It is to be understood that the particular TIC construction of machine here shown is merely illustrative of the inventive ideas or principles of the invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine for eliminating loose bristles from brushes, having in combination a rapidlyrevoluble shaft, and a brush-holder mounted on said shaft and adapted to receive the handle or head of a brush and revolve it on its axis that extends in alinement with the normally straight bristles, whereby during the rapidrevolution of the brush, the bristles will assume a flared and radial position all around the brush-head.

2. A machine for eliminating loose bristles from brushes, having in combination a standard free to have a sidewise movement; a revoluble brush-holder mounted on said standard to rapidly revolve the brush on its axis and thereby cause the bristles to assume a radial position which will eliminate loose bristles,

and a revoluble buffer-drum against which when the brush ceases to revolve, the bristles may be side-wipedand restored to their normal straight position.

3. A machine for eliminating loose bristles from brushes, having in combination a standard free to have a sidewise movement; a revoluble brush-holder and shaft mounted on said standard; another shaft in alinement with the axis of the said brush-holder shaft and which is kept always revolving, and a clutch device connecting the said two shafts and said clutch operated by said sidewise movement of the standard.

4. A machine for eliminating loose bristles from brushes,having in combination a rapidlyrevoluble brush-holder adapted to revolve a brush on its axis that is in alinement with the normally straight bristles'and cause said bristles to change saidposition and assume a radial position around the brush-head; a revoluble buffer-drum against which when the brush ceases to revolve the bristles may be side- Wiped, and means to cause the brush while still in said holder and the said buffer-drum to be brought together in contact.

5. A machine for eliminating loose bristles from brushes, having in combination a rapidlyrevoluble brush-holder adapted to revolve a brush on its axis that is in alinement with the normally straight bristles and cause said bristles to change such position and assume aradial positionaround the brush-head, and a resistance device against which the radially-positioned ends of the bristles will strike while the brush is being rapidly revolved.

6. A machine for eliminating loose bristles from brushes, having in combination a standard that has a swinging or tilting movement; a revoluble brush -h0lder mounted on said standard; a movable resistance device against which the radially-positioned brush-bristles will strike while the brush is being rapidly revolved, and means attached to the swinging or tilting standard for moving said resistance or knocker.

7 A machine for eliminating loose bristles from brushes, havingin combination astand- .ard that has a swinging or tilting movement;

a revoluble brushholder mounted on said standard; a revoluble buffer-drum; and a stop device to limit the extent of the tilting movement of the said standard.

8. A machine for eliminating loose bristles from brushes, having in combination a standard that has a swinging or tilting movement; a revoluble brush-holder mounted on said standard; and a stay device to retain the said standard from tilting.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

MORTON P. TOTTIiE. GEORGE B. FAIRMAN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. MANN, J r., G. FERDINAND Voe'r. 

